Panic attacks (part 4)
How to cope with panic attacks The good news is that panic attacks are very treatable. By the time you are reading this final part of my four-month series on panic, you may have found that your panic attacks have already started to reduce because you have begun to understand and accept that they will […]
Panic attacks (part 3)
What keeps panic attacks going? Panic affects your body, your thoughts and your behaviour and these three things work together to keep panic going. The physical symptoms of high anxiety can be part of the problem. For example, for people whose breathing is affected by anxiety, something called hyperventilation can occur. This just means someone […]
Panic attacks (part 2)
What causes panic attacks? Fear is our body’s natural response to anything we perceive as scary or threatening. It’s all about scale though – fear can range from mild anxiety (which can be helpful when there is a goal, like doing well in an exam,) through to full-blown panic. Fear is an unpleasant feeling because […]
Panic attacks (part 1)
Was that a panic attack? You might think a panic attack would be easy to recognise, but it isn’t. Sometimes panic feels so awful, and takes you by such surprise, that people think it must be something much more serious, like a heart attack. In one study a quarter of all people having their first […]
Writing as therapy, part 3
The structured letter (to a friend, partner or family member). When we feel angry, disappointed or hurt, it is sometimes difficult to communicate in a positive and helpful way. Venting extreme emotion can add fuel to the fire and create a vicious circle of attack and retaliation. Often, a thoughtful structured letter helps to communicate […]
Writing as therapy, part 2
The unsent letter. When you’re bursting with emotion that can’t (yet) be expressed in person, be it anger or love, bitterness or sadness, it’s often a good idea to express them somehow or other. Sometimes, there just isn’t the right person around to hear what you want to say – so write it out in […]
Writing as therapy, part 1
Journalling. Keeping a personal diary or reflective journal can be very therapeutic, both during therapy and without it. It’s about concentrating on your feelings and your process, your hopes and fears, rather than the actual content of your days. So it’s about who and what hurt you and what brought you joy today, rather than […]
The drive for love
Why love blooms with someone but not with another is a complex process, particularly because the psyche has its own agenda. Sometimes it seems like there’s an inner drive to find the ying to our yang, the other half to make us whole, by seeking the qualities or personality aspects that we don’t have, as […]
New Year, New Start?
Happy New Year to you! A new year is always a good time to focus on change. Whether it’s improving your life, health, career, relationships, friendships or family harmony, there are always some changes that are relatively easy to make and sustain. But what about the tougher ones? Sometimes they only seem tough because you’re […]
The art of making resolutions
10 top tips for keeping those New Year’s resolutions Making positive changes in your life can only be a good thing, so why do we find it so hard to make them happen? Here’s something I’ve written for the new issue of the Townswoman’s magazine 1. Be your own therapist Why do you want to […]